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The USS Enterprise-D is in pursuit of a Ferengivessel suspected of stealing a Federation-owned T-9 energy converter from Gamma Tauri IV. The mission is also an opportunity to encounter the Ferengi, who have never established visual contact with the Federation. The pursuit ends when the Ferengi ship gets close to a planet in the Delphi Ardu system and goes to sub-warp speed, possibly suffering a power surge and damage to their engines. After a while, it opens fire on the Enterprise, causing her minimal damage. CaptainPicard chooses not to return fire, arguing that the Ferengi are just reacting to the pursuit. Soon after, however, the Enterprise also suffers a power system failure, becoming immobilized with phasers and shields off-line.

The crew members believe their ship is trapped by the Ferengi. In the attempt to understand more of their enemies, Data summarizes what is known about them: they are traders, and value profit above all, not unlike Yankee traders of 18th and 19th centuryNorth America. Riker and La Forge envisage a way to escape the trap, by jumping abruptly to maximum warp and taking advantage of the relatively slower reaction of the force field. To catch the Ferengi off guard, Picard hails them, asking for the restitution of the stolen equipment, but receives no answer. The Enterprise then attempts the warp jump, but the plan is not successful. Furthermore, the computer data banks are being accessed by some unknown external source. Troi points out that all the attention has been devoted to the Ferengi, neglecting the possible role of the planet.

A conference is held in the observation lounge among the senior officers, and, after discarding the hypothesis of fighting, they decide to try contacting the Ferengi again. Picard hails them, reluctantly asking to present their terms.

After a moment, the Ferengi DaiMonTarr replies. Much to the astonishment of the Enterprise bridge crew, he says that he is ready to discuss surrender, but not unconditional surrender: he will return the energy converter and offer the lives of the second officers. It is now clear that both ships are trapped, and that the Ferengi are not the actual source of the energy field.

The ancient Tkon empire

The Enterprisesenior officers convene again in the observation lounge. There, Data explains what is known about the mysterious planet, not before becoming stuck with a Chinese finger trap left in the room by a couple of children, Matthew and Pola. Thanks to the help of Captain Picard, Data gets his fingers released and explains that the planet might be one of the most distant outposts of the Tkon Empire, an ancient and powerful space federation that existed over 600,000 years in the past and was now extinct due to their star going supernova. During the meeting, a probe launched from the Enterprise transmits its information, revealing that indeed both ships are trapped in a force field emanating from the planet's surface.

Picard again contacts the Ferengi, who have also discovered the true nature of the trap. After some confrontation with DaiMon Tarr over his deception, Picard suggests to exchange information in order to solve the common problem, which is endangering both ships. They each decide to send a joint away team of Starfleet officers and Ferengi down to the surface. Despite the apparent risks, including a loss of communication and no way to beam back on board the Enterprise, Riker, La Forge, Data, Worf, and Yar beam to the planet.

On the surface, the Enterprise members are initially separated and try to rejoin. The planet surface is full of crystalline tree shapes and the sky is beset by thunder and lightning. Worf, Riker, Data, and La Forge are attacked by the Ferengi away team, armed with energy whips, rendering them unconscious.

On the Enterprise, the situation is getting critical, as life support is failing. All energy is diverted to the family decks to extend their survival. The Ferengi on the planet are looking at Riker's combadge, wondering whether it is gold, while the Enterprise away team gradually recover their senses. A fight begins, which is resolved when Yar intervenes with a phaser. The Ferengi, with an acute sense of hearing, are disturbed by the planetary thunderclaps. They also show their surprise for the way Humans work together with their females and keep them clothed. On the Enterprise, it is getting colder and very dark. Picard and Beverly Crusher discuss whether she should give a sedative to her son, Wesley, or if he should keep awake waiting for death. Picard thinks Wesley has the right to greet death while awake, which Crusher considers to be a simple male perspective. On the planet a mysterious figure suddenly materializes and is very loud, sending the acutely hearing Ferengi trio into agony.

The newly arrived entity declares himself as Portal 63, a guardian of the Tkon Empire, and asks the away teams whether they want to enter the Empire. The aged guardian is then told by Riker and Data that the Tkon Empire does not exist any longer, and that several ages have passed. Portal 63 has been asleep for a very long time: hundreds of thousands of Earth years. The Ferengi try to strike a friendship with the Portal, asking for control of their ship, and promising to destroy the Enterprise and its crew. They describe the Humans as savages and barbarians, and misrepresent Humanity by citing facts such as females being allowed to wear clothing as proof of their "insanity". The Enterprise team, however, accepts the Portal's trial, ready to prove their innocence.

Riker is challenged first. Riker is surprised that the Portal knows his name (Portal 63 can read Riker's mind). The Portal guardian attacks him with his sharp, bladed spear and is impressed by the composure with which Riker faces his fate after the blade lands perilously close to his right ear. Riker replies that "Fear is the true enemy. The only enemy", quoting Sun Tzu. The Portal is pleased by Riker's thoughts, unlike those of the deceptive Ferengi. The Portal says to Riker that he wants to know more about Earth history, as it is similar to the Tkon's. Then at Riker's request, he immediately releases the Enterprise, restoring its power just in time to let the crew recover from what looks like their slumber, but is their point of death.

"Not a moment too soon..."

The Portal explains to Riker that he would usually destroy both ships since they were fighting, but then he saw that they were curiously trying to cooperate. The Portal askes Riker if he wants him to destroy the Ferengi, but Riker asks him to release them, since they are similar to ancient Humans: they have much to learn, but they can grow. Portal 63 asks "What if they never learn, Riker?" Riker says his values, and that of the Federation, require them to face the possibility of the Ferengi learning how to destroy them. When Riker asks what the Portal will do now that his Empire is gone, Portal 63 says he will sleep until needed again and then disappears in a flash of lightning.

On board the Enterprise, the energy converter has been regained. Picard congratulates the away team for the success of the mission. Riker, with a devilish grin, then asks him permission to beam aboard the Ferengi ship Data's box of the Chinese finger traps as a "thank you for all they tried to do". After Picard commands "Make it so", the two ships leave orbit but not before La Forge has his fingers caught in a finger trap, at which Data enters the course on the helm for him.

"We offer the lives of our second officers as required by the Ferengi code."
"Fortunately Starfleet has no such rules involving its second officers."

- DaiMon Tarr to Picard and Data

"What's our acceleration delay between slow reverse impulse and top warp-speed?"
"Well it's point three hundred... I see where you're going, we shift down then kick hard into warp nine! Yeah, come back fighting, WOO-WEE!"

- Riker and Geordi

"It appears the Ferengi have us right where they want us; in their sights."

- Picard

"Hello, stranger."

- Geordi La Forge, when the Enterprise crew gets their first glimpse of a Ferengi vessel

"Your alien images again shock us!"

- DaiMon Tarr, to Picard

"Immobilised by the damn Ferengi?"

- Worf

"If he moves, kill him!"

- Letek

"It looks like gold. It tastes like gold!"
"It is gold."

- Letek and Riker, as Letek examines Riker's combadge

"The universe exists to me to create life. I shall sleep, until needed again. "

- Portal 6-3

"Pygmy cretins!"

- Worf, on the Ferengi landing party

"They admit the evil that they DO!"

- Letek referring to Starfleet and the Federation

"You work with your females, arm them and force them to wear clothing."

- Letek

"Merde."

- Picard

"Data, what are you doing?"
"Apologies, captain. I seem to have reached an odd functional impasse. I am ... stuck."
"Then get un-stuck and continue with the briefing!"
"Yes, sir. That is what I am trying to do, sir, but the solution eludes me."
"My hero." (laughing)

- Data, Picard, and Geordi, when Data gets his fingers stuck in a children's toy.

"Permission to beam over a box of Data's Chinese finger puzzles over to the Ferengi. A thank you, for all they tried to do."
"Make it so."

The original story concept named the planet Gamma Tauri IV Gamma XII. The Enterprise-D followed the first Ferengi ship and had to face a Ferengi warship while in orbit of a planet. When the ships lost their energy away teams beamed to the surface and had to face creatures which are described as a mixture of Earth dogs and Ferengi Uvex. Beverly Crusher was part of the away team and it was planned to let the Ferengi have green blood. Portal 63 was originally named Dilo, a groundskeeper of the planet. At the end of the story, the planet became a library planet for the Humans and the Ferengi. (Creating the Next Generation: The Conception and Creation of a Phenomenon, p.79-81)

The phrase "The Last Outpost" was parodied somewhat in the script to the penultimate episode of Deep Space Nine, "The Dogs of War", when Quark proclaims that his bar will be "the last outpost of what made Ferenginar great!" Coincidentally, that episode suggested Ferengi society was evolving to a more benevolent one, just as Riker suggested they might in this episode.

The master systems display table, nicknamed the "pool table" by the production staff, appears for the first time in this episode, though it still looks very much like its previous appearance in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home and not like it appeared throughout the rest of the series.

This is also the first time that two of the four corridors leading to main engineering have been blocked by consoles, so only the main corridors close to the MSD remain. This was the norm until Star Trek Generations, when the wall consoles were removed and main engineering once more is reachable by four corridors.

The hand-held energy whips used by the Ferengi in this episode would not be seen again until DS9: "Ferengi Love Songs", in which Quark is seen holding an action figure equipped with a whip. "Actual" laser whips would not reappear until ENT: "Acquisition", co-incidentally the last Ferengi episode of Star Trek to be made, albeit the first one (chronologically) to feature Ferengi.